Spurs thinking through a free throw solution

Spurs starting center DeJuan Blair has learned a vital lesson about free-throw shooting: The less you think, the more likely you are to have success at the foul line.

A 54.7 percent free-thrower during a rookie season that included 167 foul shots, Blair’s dramatic improvement at the line this season is one of the reasons the Spurs have been flirting with 80 percent free-throw accuracy during a 17-3 start that matches the franchise’s all-time best after 20 games. He has made 16 of 19 free throws (84.2 percent) and is one of five Spurs on pace to have a career-best season from the line.

Blair credits shooting coach Chip Engelland for restructuring his technique but understands it was just as important to stop over-thinking the process. If it seems Blair releases his free throws more quickly than most players, it is because the quick release gives him less time to turn each shot into an ordeal.

“I went back and watched all my free-throw shooting,” he said. “In high school, I used to dribble five times; in college I had a ritual. Now, I just shoot. I believe you just get it off quick, and that’s better than waiting for it and worrying about how it’s going to come off your hand.

“Now, I just go up and shoot it and be comfortable and confident.”

The team’s 79.9 percent foul shooting, up from last season’s 74.0 percent, is helped by the fact its busiest free thrower, Manu Ginobili, is on track for a career year at the line. Ginobili, averaging six free throws per game, is at a career-best 90.8 percent, the league’s sixth-best figure.

Four more Spurs are shooting better than 80 percent at the line: George Hill (career-best 85.5), Tony Parker (career-best 80.3), Antonio McDyess (career-best 84.2) and rookie Gary Neal at 87.5.

“They have a lot of firepower,” he said. “They can score in bunches. That’s what makes them so tough. They’re not shy to put the ball up. They’re going to take whatever shot is open, and they do a great job of making them.”

Hill said Ellis, who at 25.4 points per game is the NBA’s No. 4 scorer, has become a defender’s nightmare.

“I like guarding people, see where I’m at defensively, and I know with Monta, I have my hands full, because he’s so quick and explosive, and he’s starting to shoot a lot better,” Hill said. “You can’t just take away one thing because he has a whole package.”